


Dear JJ (You Outshine the Morning Sun)

by AliceinSpace



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Joel and Ellie - Freeform, because why the hell not, but for now, everybody lives au, father-daughter, for Joel's birthday, happy birthday to the best post-apocalyptic dad, here's JJ's birth in this beautiful alternate universe, referring to Ellie as Joel's daughter is my drug of choice, this will eventually be part of a larger Tess-Lives-AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:28:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26675191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceinSpace/pseuds/AliceinSpace
Summary: “Jesse’s taking his turn having the bones in his hand crushed,” snorts Ellie.Joel lets out a hearty guffaw.  “Oh I remember that.  Mine still doesn’t work quite right.”“I hope he didn’t give Dina his trigger hand."“That’d be disastrous.”Another September birthday, one that everyone is alive to see.  [happy birthday, old man.]
Relationships: Joel/Tess (The Last of Us)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 54





	Dear JJ (You Outshine the Morning Sun)

Tess is here when he answers the ringing phone and nearly drops it.

“It’s happening!” he cries as he turns to her, wobbling precariously. “The baby’s coming! The – what’s that?” He focuses on the voice at the other end of the line.

She watches his eyebrows pull together and a rush of affection for this man crashes through her.

“What can I do?” he asks. The low hum of love in his words, his breaths, his earnest hope, oh how beautiful he is. “How can I help you, kiddo?” He waits again.

Tess can hear the excited buzz of his daughter’s voice responding to him.

“Okay, we’ll be there.” He hangs up the phone and turns the full force of his joy on Tess. “Dina’s in labor!”

Tess smiles right back at him and runs to his arms.

“We’ll wait for them at the clinic,” he is saying, talking just to hear his voice filled with happiness. “Ellie was so worried about grabbing all of Dina’s things that she forgot her own bag, foolish girl. We’ll stop by the house and bring it for her.”

“Slow down, Texas.” She lays a palm against his chest. “I’ll get your coat.”

“My coat? It’s September, Tess.”

She’s already moving away. “You’ll get cold once you calm your heart rate. Mark my words.”

“Crazy woman,” he mutters, gripping the counter and pulling himself along.

Tess laughs. She knows she’s right.

*****

She is here when they both realize there was never any rush to get to the clinic.

Joel has been pacing, the knuckles of his right hand white on his crutch from anxious force. She hasn’t tried to make him sit down. She knows it would be useless.

They two are the only souls in the waiting room. With Dina’s family gone, Jesse’s mother Allison stepped up. She asked Dina months ago if Dina would like her to be there for her. Ellie told them Dina had been relieved.

Tess did not offer. She knows nothing of childbirth. Besides, Jesse, Ellie, Allison, Dr. Rose, the nurse – what was his name? Greg? That’s crowd enough for now.

At least that’s what she tells herself.

It’s been hours. Ellie’s bag sits beside Joel’s vacant chair. Tess keeps waking up when her chin falls out of her palm. Neither of them says a word.

With a long heavy sigh, Joel finally sinks into the chair beside Tess.

Only to jerk right back to his foot as Ellie rounds the corner. Her face breaks into a tired but genuine smile upon seeing them.

“Hey,” she says. She walks right into Joel’s open arm with a look of belonging, like she has an invitation the likes of which no one else in the world will ever possess.

Joel kisses the top of her head as Tess gets up as well and rubs Ellie’s arm. “How’re things,” asks Joel.

“No baby yet,” says Ellie, exhaustion in every inch of her. “Dr. Rose says everything looks good and Dina’s doing great.”

“How’s Jesse?” asks Tess.

Ellie smirks. “He’s taking his turn having the bones in his hand crushed.”

Joel lets out a hearty guffaw. “Oh I remember that. Mine still doesn’t work quite right.” He flexes his free hand for show.

“I hope he didn’t give Dina his trigger hand,” agrees Ellie.

“That’d be disastrous.”

After a few more minutes, Ellie takes her bag and retreats to the delivery room.

Seeing his daughter calms Joel and he finally sits down with Tess. She tucks her legs up under her and leans against him, her head on his shoulder.

“I told you so.” She plucks at his coat, which he has draped over her.

He sighs, but she knows that he’s smiling. “Yes, ma’am.”

*****

She is here when Joel wakes up with a snort and a jolt that, in turn, wakes her.

Allison stands over them, beaming. “Our grandchild is here,” she says.

And Joel has never moved so fast. He is up and out of the chair and moving around the corner before Tess’s brain can catch up with the words.

“Joel!” She runs after him.

Both of them leave his crutch behind.

Both of them do not notice or care.

Clinging to the bars along the clinic’s hallways, Joel moves faster than a man missing one leg has any right to move. Tess catches up and jogs beside him, just in case. They follow the sounds of crying. It’s so easy to find the right room. It’s the one full of joyful noise.

Joel staggers to a halt just inside the door and stands there, swaying and dumbstruck. Tess tucks herself under his right arm.

Dina lies spent in the bed. A beautiful mother only a handful of moments after performing a miracle.

Jesse stands beside her, holding a bundle in a faded blue blanket close to his chest, a look of utter awe on his face.

Ellie sits on the edge of the bed, holding Dina’s hand but with eyes only for the little bundle.

It takes a few long, lovely minutes before Ellie notices them. “Joel, Tess,” she says, her voice thick and slow, “meet your grandson.”

Tess supports Joel as they approach. They peer over Jesse’s shoulder into the bundle.

He is the most beautiful thing. Round cheeks, wide-open eyes, a full head of tousled black hair, a pink mouth open in a perfect o of incredulity.

Tess is beaming. “Hi, little man,” she coos, touching the gentlest of fingertips to his forehead.

“Congratulations,” says Joel – his voice matches his daughter’s – looking first to Jesse, then to Dina. “You did good, mama.”

Dina smiles at him, her eyes falling closed. “Thanks, Joel.”

He looks now at his daughter. “Baby girl” is all he says, breathed like a prayer. There are tears in his eyes.

Tess is crying and laughing as the baby waves his fists at her.

Dina nudges Ellie. “Tell them.”

Ellie stands, still holding Dina’s hand. “We wanted you to be the first to know his name.” Her eyes bore into them both, but there’s something extra there when she’s looking at Joel. “We thought about it a lot and we want him to have a meaningful name, one that will guide him as he grows up.”

She has eyes only for Joel now.

“Your grandson. His name is Joel Jesse.”

It is so quiet that Tess can hear her own heartbeat and the rush of air that leaves Joel.

“I know, I know,” continues Ellie, “I told them it’s a mouthful, but they insisted. Dina wants to call him JJ, but I think I’m just gonna call him ‘potato’ for short.” She flashes a shit-eating grin.

A half-second passes.

Then Joel is moving again. He releases his hold on Tess and hobbles to his daughter and pulls her into his arms so tightly, neither of them can breathe. But neither of them cares.

“Thank you, baby girl,” he sighs.

Ellie buries her face in his chest. “I love you” is her reply.

**Author's Note:**

> So I did no research for the timing of this, I just worked with what I could remember of the timeline for the second game and came to the headcanon conclusion that JJ is born in early September.
> 
> Let me know what you think please! I live for feedback!
> 
> Happy birthday to our favorite post-apocalyptic dad! I love him, okay?
> 
> *Title from Hamilton's "Dear Theodosia" because I love pain.


End file.
